第3部分(第3/7 頁)

sent；　and　quicken　the　annals　of　the　dead　Past　with　the　life　of　today。　Whether；　indeed　such

reflections　are　truly　interesting　and　enlivening；　depends　on　the　writer's　own　spirit。　Moral　reflections

must　here　be　specially　noticed；　…　the　moral　teaching　expected　from　history；　which　latter　has　not

unfrequently　been　treated　with　a　direct　view　to　the　former。　It　may　be　allowed　that　examples　of

virtue　elevate　the　soul；　and　are　applicable　in　the　moral　instructions　of　children　for　impressing

excellence　upon　their　minds。　But　the　destinies　of　peoples　and　states；　their　interests；　relations；　and

the　plicated　issue　of　their　affairs；　present　quite　another　field。　Rulers；　Statesmen；　Nations；　are

wont　to　be　emphatically　mended　to　the　teaching　which　experience　offers　in　history。　But　what

experience　and　history　teach　is　this；　…　that　peoples　and　governments　never　have　learned　anything

from　history；　or　acted　on　principles　deduced　from　it。　Each　period　is　involved　in　such　peculiar

circumstances；　exhibits　a　condition　of　things　so　strictly　idiosyncratic；　that　its　conduct　must　be

regulated　by　considerations　connected　with　itself；　and　itself　alone。　Amid　the　pressure　of　great

events；　a　general　principle　gives　no　help。　It　is　useless　to　revert　to　similar　circumstances　in　the　Past。

The　pallid　shades　of　memory　struggle　in　vain　with　the　life　and　freedom　of　the　Present。　Looked　at　in

this　light；　nothing　can　be　shallower　than　the　oft…repeated　appeal　to　Greek　and　Roman　examples

during　the　French　Revolution。　Nothing　is　more　diverse　than　the　genius　of　those　nations　and　that　of

our　times。　Johannes　v。　Müller；　in　his　Universal　History　as　also　in　his　History　of　Switzerland；　had

such　moral　aims　in　vie